Big skates to fill on Albany Devils' defense

Newcomer MacWilliam a candidate to take over for departed veteran Kelly

Andrew MacWilliam, formerly in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, was one of several free-agent signings by the New Jersey Devils. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 507050913 ORG XMIT: ALB1503191936141611 less

Andrew MacWilliam, formerly in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, was one of several free-agent signings by the New Jersey Devils. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 507050913 ORG XMIT: ... more

Photo: Claus Andersen

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Andrew MacWilliam, formerly in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, was one of several free-agent signings by the New Jersey Devils. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 507050913 ORG XMIT: ALB1503191936141611 less

Andrew MacWilliam, formerly in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, was one of several free-agent signings by the New Jersey Devils. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 507050913 ORG XMIT: ... more

Photo: Claus Andersen

Big skates to fill on Albany Devils' defense

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Newark, N.J.

Unappreciated, perhaps, but not undervalued, defenseman Dan Kelly played in 352 Albany Devils games, more than anyone in the team's six-year history.

He won't add to that total. As an unrestricted free agent, Kelly signed with the San Jose Sharks.

So who will be the stay-at-home, dependable defenseman — Kelly was a plus-45 in his Albany career, which included some lean seasons from a won-lost standpoint — for the 2016-17 Devils?

"My strengths are definitely in defensive zone," MacWilliam said at his first New Jersey training camp. "That's been my M.O. for a while, just being a steady, stay-at-home defenseman, making a good first pass and doing a good job of killing penalties.

MacWilliam, a 26-year-old who played last season for the AHL's Manitoba Moose, is one of several free agents signed by New Jersey assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald.

A Calgary native who played four seasons at North Dakota, was a 2008 seventh-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

More Information

Andrew MacWilliam file

Position: Defense

Hometown: Calgary, Alberta

Age: 26

Height: 6-2

Weight: 230

College: North Dakota

Notable: Three-time WCHA all-academic team selection and a part of three conference championship teams. ... He and new teammate Karl Stollery won a Canadian Junior-A championship in 2008 with the Camrose (Alberta) Kodiaks.

He played two seasons in the Toronto organization, mostly for the Marlies, and got into 12 games for the 2014-15 Maple Leafs. MacWilliam signed a free-agent contract with Winnipeg before last season.

"I've watched him since he was at North Dakota," Fitzgerald said. "To be honest with you, it's head-scratching why he hasn't played more in the National Hockey League or even had a real chance. He's a decent skater, decent size (6-foot-2, 230 pounds). He's a guy that plays with some grit, moves guys in front, he can move the puck."

The thing with defensively responsible players is that the numbers don't always reflect their value. He played 72 American Hockey League games before scoring his first pro goal. MacWilliam has three goals in 201 career games, although he had a career-high 14 assists last season for Manitoba.

"The way the game is going, those kind of guys are dying off a little bit," MacWilliam said, "so you've got to be able to adapt your game to show more offensive abilities. You've got to have that offensive accountability. That's something I've been trying to work on a little throughout the summers and throughout the last couple of years of pro."

Like any of the free agents that Fitzgerald signed to two-way contracts, MacWilliam will be given opportunity to make the NHL roster, but he seems to understand that he'll likely be in Albany, at least for the start.

Not only will he be adjusting to new teammates, he also will be seeing a lot of new opponents. In the AHL, Eastern Conference teams such as Albany rarely play clubs from the West, which is where MacWilliam has spent his first three professional seasons.

"It's funny in the American League how different each conference is," MacWilliam said. "We played Albany once when I was in Toronto, but even when I was in Toronto at the time we were in the Western Conference.

"I'm looking forward to it. It will be like being a rookie all over again because it will be a lot of places that we'll be playing that I've never been in. I'm excited."